Banjo



('No Model.)

' A. C. FAIRBANKS.

BANJO.

No. 443,510. PatentedDeo. 30, 1890.

ms NORM! ruins 0a,, mmcmmu, wnsmuumu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT O. FAIRBANKS, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,510, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed October 13 1890. Serial No. 367,898- (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. FAIRBANKS, of Somerville, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjos, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a banjo-rim of ordinary construction; Fig. 2, a like view of my improved rim; Fig. 3, a transverse section showing a modification in the construction of the truss; Figs. 4 and 5, sectional elevations of the trusses detached; and Fig.6, a sectional view of the rim, showing the head in position.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates, especially, to the construction of the rims of banjos; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simple, cheap, and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

Banjo-rims of ordinary construction, a common form of which is shown in Fig. 1, consist of aflat hoop or band A, made of a series of layers of wood. The edges of said hoop are grooved to receive copper or steel wires 1). An outer facing of metal d is spun onto these wires, which are drawn tightly into the grooves of the wood. This arrangement of parts does not permit sufficient vibration to enable the instrument to give out a clear belllike tone. My invention is designed to obviate this and other objections.

In my improved rim I make use of a wooden hoop B, of similar construction to that described, but of less width. The lower edge has a circular groove fto receive a wire g, while the upper edge is provided with an annular'rabbet h to receive a truss C. This truss consists of a metallic ring the upper edge of which is provided with a series of vertically-curved bosses or projections i, grooved at j to receive the upper band-wire g. The

bosses 2' project above the hoop B when in position in the rabbet. The metallic band or facing D, spun onto the wires g, clamps the truss and hoop securely together. Brackets m are secured to the band D in the usual manner. The head 19 is stretched over the truss edge of the rim and held by a metallic hoop q, clamped to the brackets by screwhooks t. The insertion of the metallic truss between the wire g at the edge of the rim to which the head is attached and the wooden hoop B is found to increase vibration and impart a clear pure tone to the instrument not attainable when the rim is made entirely of metal or the combination shown in Fig. 1. Moreover, the open spaces o between the truss-bosses 1' permit vibration of the wire g, increasing the sound much more than if a solid band of metal were combined with the wooden hoop.

In Fig. 3 the truss is shown constructed with studsz instead of the curved bosses t' for the wire to rest on, the result attained being the same.

Having thus explained myinvention, what I claim is l. A banjo-rim comprising a wooden hoop, a metallic truss disposed in a groove or rabbet in an edge of said hoop, and a metallic band or facing secured to wires in engage ment with said truss and the opposite edge of said hoop, substantially as described.

2. In a banjo, an annular metallic truss disposed in an edge of the banjo-rim in engagement with the band-wire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a banjo, the annular truss 0, adapted to be inserted in a groove in the rim and provided with grooved bosses or proj ections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a banjorim, a wooden body grooved or rabbeted at its edges, a metallic truss disposed in one of said grooves and projecting beyond said body, and a metallic band or facing secured to wires bearing against said truss and body, substantially as described.

5. In a banjo, a rim comprising the wooden body B, grooved at f and rabbeted at h, the metallic truss C, disposed in said rabbet and having-the grooved projections i, and the me tallic band D, spun onto wires g, drawn into said grooves, substantially as described.

ALBERT C. FAIRBANKS.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, K. DURFEE.

TOC 

